3/27/2008

A really excellent electronica/hip hop (with a touch of Jazz) artist by the name of The Great Mundane has an open submission remix project running right now. There are three tracks available for remixing and you can download zip files with all of the content directly from his site. The remixes are due no later then 11:59PM (Central Time) Sunday May 25th and the best of will appear on an upcoming album.

3/26/2008

The venue in Rotterdam, Belgium Netherlands last night had a recording studio as well as a video studio. Obviously I was more interested in one than the other. Jonathan Snipes from Captain Ahab was already there when I arrived and was navigating his way through the Arp 2500. I'm not sure how I feel about the wireless patching because it takes an extra second to trace back patches. Then again, its simple and quick after some practice. We geeked out on the Arp and some Serge Modules for many hours while the others were catching up on sleep and working on their sets for the night. I could give you a quick review of what I thought of it but will pass for now as I'm trying to catch up on sleep myself. Touring is murder on your brain and body!Whoever is in Madrid tonight, Thursday, come out and we will melt your faces off!

3/25/2008

Very rarely I will find a new product that immediately impresses me. But the day has arrived and we now have this amazing machine called the "International Dance Party." Over the last 20 years in an underground secret lab, this device was invented. It's first intention was to 'cause' dance parties to happen at any location. It was later downgraded to a machine that could merely 'detect' parties currently in action and then add to them. Anyway, check out the video in the full post....

3/24/2008

While Surachai is in Europe eating cheese, I will take this opportunity to post things that he would normally not allow. Starting with this amazing video I just found via MatrixSynth that was created by Perish Factory for the track called Butterfingers by Bomb The Bass. Click the image to view...

3/19/2008

I remember meeting Miles at a local club in Chicago and ending up talking to him at length about mutual friends, living abroad and most importantly: food. We shared from our experiences of the differences between urban European food and rural. A couple people stopped by, heard what we were talking about and promptly left. So, to share the details of the conversation would probably make you leave as well. Miles lived in France for an extended amount of time and that is where I am heading later today! While there are a few more Workspace and Environment articles left, I'll most likely be busy for the next few months eating. Don't worry, Justin will take care of you.

Background[I was] Born in Michigan, I live in Chicago now because I wanted to see snowagain after living in Florida for 20 years.[I have been making music] since 1995, so about 13 years now. I got motivated to make music because I always heard it in my head and figured it would be a goodidea to get some of it out. The same reason applies today.

What is your current favorite piece of hardware?Faderfox midi control. It's tiny and has a joystick. Also recordplayers and cassette 4 tracks.

What is your current favorite software or plugin?Logic ES2 synth.... it's extremely versatile.

How does your physical space and surroundings influence your workflow?I like the color orange because it helps me think clearly.

Extra CurricularI have some collaborations with Steve Hess, Kate Simko, Mark DeNardoand Rich Grillotti. Some of these collaborations will be in anupcoming film.

What was the first piece of hardware you remember obtaining? Korg MS 2000... still one of my favorites.

What is on your current 'wish list'?I dont have anything I dont need. I inherited a MPC that I haven'ttouched yet.

Do you have a setup for live performances? Laptop, Faderfox, Korg MS2000

How many physical locations have you had your studio?This is my first real studio.

3/17/2008

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon these guys but when I looked at pictures of the Husband/Wife group, I realized Anna was the woman we bugged at NAMM in the Moog booth (ie, stalking). Either way to see die hard Moog enthusiasts actually making music is refreshing.

Nick Montoya of The Volts per Octaves

BackgroundI was born in Burbank, Ca. Grew up in Pasadena, Ca. Moved to Santa Barbara when I was 13 with my parents, before moving all around northern California during my high school years. I lived in Susanville, Redway, Garberville, Shelter Cove, among a few other tiny towns. Now I reside in beautiful Santa Barbara, Ca. This is the place that feels most like home. It's summer all the time too.I started playing cello in third grade. Shortly after that I got in to guitar and other rock instruments like bass, drums. Started my first band at age 12 called "Putrid Existence". I was Nick Putrid, the mastermind of the band, yet the youngest. Kinda like the tough little boss in old cartoons, that orders all the big henchmen around ;) ... In high school I got into electronic music when my music teacher let me borrow a virtual analog midi module. That was it... I started buying up keyboards like mad starting with my old MS 2000 (now very dead, like most of em are) and my trusty Moog Prodigy, which I ended up selling when I got my Little Phatty. Then I just went nuts and thats where I'm at right now.

What is the name you work under and where can we find your work?My wife and I are "The Volt per Octaves", and we both play Moogs, keys and theremin in our live, non sequenced electronic compositions.\People say we're "electronica", but for some reason I hate that term. I perfer just electronic music or MOOG music. That "a" at the end just kills it for me.\You can check us out on our myspace ( www.myspace.com/thevoltperoctaves ). Our CDs can be ordered almost anywhere and can be found digitally at iTunes among many other online retailers.

What is your current favorite piece of hardware?My favorite piece of hardware of all time is my Minimoog Model D, but right now it's in the shop for a general tune up. So, I've been having lotsa fun with my friend Ross Harris's Baldwin Synthasound! It's a super rare old analog monosynth that Baldwin made for a short time at the height of Minimoog and Arp 2600 popularity (1971).Sounds like Dick Hyman in a box and I love it. It has one of the craziest glide times ever, like 20 seconds... But it actually says "Slide"...

What is your current favorite software or plugin? We only use software to track/record our analog synths and drum machines. We tried a bunch of software and ended up liking Cubase the most.. Why? Not sure, ease of use I guess...

How does your physical space and surroundings influence your workflow?When we get ready to record we like to have everything ready to go. But unfortunately we have to swap out keyboards here and there 'cuz we don't have much room in our bedroom/home studio. It's nice to have everything patched to the board and ready to go. That way when we get an idea we can just run with it.

What was the first piece of hardware you remember obtaining? The last?The first piece of gear that really inspired me was my Moog Prodigy. Although it doesn't hold a candle to my Mini, it does some cool shit the Model D can't do. Especially the amazing Oscillator Sync. Best of probably any stock Moog, and the Little Phatty is right up there with it. A very similar sound.The last piece was actually a dump load of keyboards all at once. My brother's best friend just unloaded 5 decks on me. A Korg M1, Korg Polysix, Crumar T1 organ, Yamaha CP10 and a Roland Juno 6... All in different working conditions. But the Juno is very clean and worked great right away... The Korg Polysix makes very authentic "dead" polysix sounds. I think the on board-battery leaked all over the damn place ;)

What is on your current 'wish list' for new hardware or software?I'd really love to get a small Pro Tools rig.. It's seeming more and more essential all the time. But as long as we can record our stuff okay in Cubase, we're happy.

Do you have a mobile studio setup? What does it include?Our main setup is pretty mobile. A Mac Book, running Cubase. Our interface is great. It's an Alesis Multimix 16 Firewire mixer. It can also double as an analog mixing board... When I got it it seemed like a no brainer. Either a 2 channel Pro Tools system for about 500.00 or a 16 channel Alesis/Cubase set up for 450.00... It's great to be able to record everything to it's own track in a live studio setting...

Do you have a setup for live performances?It is very much the same as our studio setup. There is very little we leave at home. Our most common setup for a gig would be:

How many physical locations have you had your studio?Too many to count. I'd like to think that each time the setup has become bigger, bettter more stable and all around more sonic with each piece of gear added, or taken away for that matter... My first setup in the "Putrid" days was a Malaysian Kareoke machine... Dopest punk rock garage recording rig EVER !!! ;) Sure, it's come along way from there, but it is still very basic...\

Have you ever heard your music being played at a random/public place?Actually yes. We were flipping through the TV one night and our music was being played in background for a friends computer generated graphic art video project for television. It was this strange little bubbley, busseling city and our song "Super Milk" accompanied the animation.

3/14/2008

A+ student Richard Devine just told me that Mike Brown of Livewire Synthesizers just released the AFG for Pre-order!! I imagine these will sell out quickly because they're limited editions that look SICK! At NAMM, I managed to pin point every single one of its features and produce every sound capable of this oscillator in the 3 minutes I played with it. No forreal, I probably didn't grasp 2% of what it is capable of but apparently it has sick FM capabilities and a tremendous amount of options (number of knobs and patch points: science!). If you don't know how you're going to stimulate the economy, I suggest getting one of these guys. I'm picking one up immediately after I get back from tour. Click on the picture for the site and audio examples! More later....

3/13/2008

Electrocute was also one of the first groups we asked to participate in the Workspace and Environment series and due to us both having lives, we finally got to it now. This has been a successful week in posting articles that have been sitting around! If you have any suggestions on which artists you would like to see here, drop us a line! Have a killer weekend!

Nicole Morier of Electrocute

How long have you been involved with making music?Since we were 2 and could bang on pots and shout.

Favorite HardwareMac Powerbook, Echoplex

Favorite SoftwareMostly using analogue these days, but we record in Logic Pro and the Bitcrusher plugin is pretty cool, also like the ES1 synth and Absynth.

Workspace and EnvironmentWell the helicopters that fly over Echo Park add a certain ambiance to our sound. And the Mexican radio that creeps through our amps sometimes through crossed radio waves can be annoying.

Extra CurricularsNicole: I'm writing pop songs. Have a song called "Heaven on Earth" on the new Britney Spears album.

First GearLegs: A stolen computer with Soundforge that broke in a month (karma)Nicole: My dad's guitar

WishlistLogic Pro 8, Reason, Minimoog, OB8, we want a lot.

Mobile SetupMac Powerbook, M-audio interface, SM-58 mic, Logic 7

Live SetupSometimes a live band with Drums, Sampler, Minimoog, Fender Organ, bass, guitar and sometimes just programmed tracks off laptop with Roland Dr. Sampler and guitar and bass. How many physical locations has your studio been through?Ohmigod, too many to list. We are road warriors and have always made music anyway possible by any means necessary.

Nicole: These are pics from my little home set up which is in transition now as I am in the middle of searching for a new apartment. but the IMac and the Yamaha speakers, midi keyboard and Rode mic travel easily with me and is basically what I use to demo and write tracks on using Logic Pro 7.

3/11/2008

Eliot Lipp was one of the first people we asked and agreed to participate in our blog. Due to our issues(slacking hardcore) here we are 4 months later with his interview. We're glad to finally be able to share his studio and a quick interview.

How long have you been involved with making music?About 8 years

What is your current favorite piece of hardware? My Korg MS-20. This synth is my signature sound. The first analog synth I ever bought.

What is your favorite piece of software?I would have to say Ableton Live because I use it everyday for shows, producing, sampling, sequencing... but I love Sound Forge & Vegas too.

How does your physical space and surrounding influence your workflow?I used to work at home but I feel more productive now that I have a studio. It's like going to the office for me. the downside is that it's in a basement and there are no windows so it gets a little creepy down there.

What was the first piece of hardware you remember obtaining? Yamaha psr-510

What is on your current wish list?The Macbeth M5 SynthesizerYamaha CS-50and all the Plan B modules

Do you have a mobile studio setup?When I'm on the road I always have my Korg MS-20, my MFB Synth2 and my Powerbook.

Do you have a setup for live performances?MS-20, MFB Synth2, Powerbook, Mackie mixer, delay pedal, Midi controller.sometimes a Roland TR-606 or Jomox X-base09

Have you ever heard your music being played in apublic place?I was at a random bar in Texas an once and the dj played my hit "raptight" but I think he saw me and threw it on to be funny.

How many times has your setup changed?Too many to count. I started with a keyboard & a four track and I just kept buying & selling gear. my studio is always changing, I rarely find a piece of gear that I feel I should keep for life.You can find Eliot Lipp on Hefty Records, Eastern Developments, Metatronix, Money StudiesMyspace

3/09/2008

There are a few more Workspace and Environment articles to post before I'll be leaving for Eurolands but I'll get to those details in a second. I'd like to take this space to say thanks for all the e-mails of support and to all the anonymous readers alike. We haven't gained a penny since we started this blog and while we really have no clue how to capitalize on something like this, we'll most likely continue the blog for quite some time for the sheer pleasure. And according to our hits, it's a great place to promote friends and their artistry be it audio, physical or whatever garbage they produce. So I only hope we expose you to new music, products and thoughts.

With the thanks and sentimental crap out of the way. I will be on tour in Europe, destroying cities with my great friends Eustachian. A big chunk of the shows will have The Teknoist headlining with us and I'm sure we'll have fun melting faces around his hood. I'm hyped to be a part of great lineups to play again with Captain Ahab in Madrid! I'm expecting to see a lot of familiar faces as the hardcore/grind/loudfastwhatever community is intensely small and personable. However I hope to meet new people! So if you're on the list of cities, come out and say hi! If you mention you're a reader of the blog, I'll hand you out a nifty Surachai satanic sticker and a You Are Beautiful sticker to patch up the evilness. While I'm not on the road, I'll be using Paris as a home base, so if any of you want to buy me cheese, drop a line! The schedule changes from day to day and we're still looking for gigs on our off time. If you know someone or are someone who can find us a gig, please drop an e-mail to the address to the right (trash@thedeepelement.com). While my makeshift Surachai site is the best source for updates on the gigs, here is the path of destruction as it stands:

3/05/2008

Out today is my EP called 'The night that laid still.' Included with this is a remix album by various artists called 'Reconstructions' and a video for the track 'Slowly and Quietly Absorbed' by Bridget Driessen.

3/03/2008

We've been waiting for pictures from these guys for months and while they were between tours, practice spaces and studios they managed to drop off one. They're on the road yet again supporting their new release on Relapse Records. I think the picture is sufficient as you can see how Michael works, you just got to turn him around and tell him to stop staring at my soul....

Michael Sochynsky of Genghis TronBackgroundI have been progamming beats and playing synths for the band Genghis Tron for the past 3 years. Before that I was experimenting with electronic music on my own beginning around 1999 or so. My newest synth is an Alesis Andromeda which I like a lot. It is a great analog synth that has more flexibility than other analogs because of its high polyphony, excellent envelopes and well routed modulation matrix. I also use a Novation KS-4.

On HardwareOur live set up consists of the three of us. I play the Andromeda and Novation KS live and our singer also plays a rack Moog Voyager and controls our drum tracks through a Roland sampler which is triggered via midi remote controller. We also have a guitar player who uses many pedals.

On SoftwareFor making beats on the computer I really like Native Instruments Battery 3 for drum sampling, which I run through Ableton Live. As for how I am influenced by my surroundings, I would say very little. No matter where I am, I'm still just staring at a computer screen! The biggest distraction from writing music is the internet. The fact that the music is being made on a computer doesnt help. It's very easy to stop working on a beat and check e-mail for no reason. Also, the desire to hangout with friends instead of being alone in your room working on music. i think that making on a computer is very easy if you practice enough and have a reasonable amount of time and patience. I really like functions that help randomize music in subtle and clever ways instead of doing it manually. It would be nice if I had access to more plug ins and programs that help with automating patterns in unpredictable ways.

On HumansMy friends and family are very supportive. Even my grandmother has a copy of one of our CD's. Most of my family don't really "get" the music but they are supportive anyways. My dad actually digs the music which is cool. I'm very lucky to have the support of my family and friends! What I've found is that there is a way to do anything, but not through one program. What I mean is that some programs are good for one thing, and another program or plug in will be good for something else. So I wouldn't want to put one single tweak into a program, but rather build one super program that could do everything!

Michael Sochynsky was born in Berkeley, California and currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Genghis Tron can be found on Relapse Records, Crucial Blast Records and Myspace.

3/01/2008

"After receiving a couple of Harvestman modules today and a CD ready for my European tour, I decided to incorporate the two. A Video of the assembly of the modular for my live setup and a track from the CD. Artwork credit goes to Byonic.

I must say receiving Modules reminds me of my younger days in middle school where I used to buy RAM, install it into my PC and through trial and error THINK I learned something. Well the trial and error is not an option anymore as these bastards cost a hell of a lot more money and I'm not using these modules to help me destroy people in Quake. First impressions: I have to mention that the packaging the units come in are impressiveand they arrive in their own Harvestman boxes and static bags. Oh the small touches! At first glance I'm slightly confused as to why the Malgorithm is smaller than the Polivoks Filter depth wise. I was assuming since the Malgorithm has digital components, space would be consolidated into chips while the analog circuitry in the Polivoks simply took up more space. I'm sure I'm right in some cases but in this one I'm not. Both are relatively shallow compared to Livewire and Doepfer Modules. When at NAMM I noticed Scott Jaeger/Harvestman held all of his modules with the similarly shallow Cwejman modules in a small briefcase. It definitely gives new options for cases and not having to lug around a Doepfer portable which is somewhat of a strain for my 3 muscles. I just spilled cranberry juice nearly on everything in Justin's studio. Shh... he doesn't even read this.Both modules are aesthetically beautiful front and back and well constructed. I'm not sure how I feel about Buchla Style wiggle on the knobs. The knobs definitely makes me feel more rich, almost as if I could afford a Buchla. It's almost like picturing your girlfriend is Shannyn Sossamon while you're...... *ahem*. Anyways this is almost like cheating... so aside from the wiggle causing hallucinations, I'm going to assume that they're a welcome change because I treat my gear like crap and a little give on the knobs will keep them from getting bent.I'm not going to talk too much about the sounds of the modules until I've gotten more than 20 minutes to play with them, but from first impressions the sounds are much higher quality than I anticipated (cause of examples on youtube). The reason I chose Harvestman modules is the focus on the options of destruction and aggression. The Malgorithm has, from what I've gathered, no bypass and whatever signal is going in will get hurt (in a great masochistic way). The filter on the other hand is surprisingly smooth and has extreme coloration/character that I find completely agreeable. It seems like most of the filter action happens between off to 12 o'clock. The resonance is the most unstable and aggressive I've heard. Also if you turn everything up, the sound warbles a bit, which may be a wanted or unwanted effect. So to sum it up: If you want chaos, aggression and a bit of finesse, you can't overlook these modules.